Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020) - 3/5

The first 2/3 of this movie are quite good, but it doesn’t stick the landing. The psychotic hilarity of the premise works well, the narrative and story structure themselves being subject to Harley Quinn’s delusions, but the final culminating fight scene is inexplicably abysmal, both in conception and execution. This film lacks the heart throughline of Deadpool, the adept writing of the Marvel franchise, or the intelligent depth of the Nolan Batman trilogy. It keeps telling the audience it’s having fun, with the shaky tinge of uncertainty in its voice.

Content warnings: language, brutal violence

Closest comparison: It’s like Deadpool by way of Suicide Squad.

Setting: Superhero
Plot: On the Run
Tone: Psychotic Comedy

Trailer

Kill the Messenger (2014) - 3/5

This is a by-the-numbers investigative journalism exposé movie and as such it’s well executed. The story is pretty straightforward and holding to the historical facts doesn’t leave much room for cinematic creativity. It’s well acted, well written, and paced to keep your attention, but unless you’re interested in the historical events you may find yourself bored. Jeremy Renner is excellent in the leading role, and without him the film would collapse under its own weight.

Closest comparison: It’s more All the President's Men than it is Erin Brockovitch.

Setting: Political Drama
Plot: Journalistic Investigation
Tone: Family Drama

Gemini Man - 2/5

This movie is a mess. The action is decent, but all of the good parts (with one possible exception) were shown in the trailer and, bafflingly, were better executed in the trailer. The acting ranges from passable to poor, with a few pretty cringe-inducing moments. There are a few times where the cinematography is beautiful, but for the most part everything just looks boring. Even the special effects, while mostly top-notch, have a few scenes that look rough to the point of being unnerving. There are some good ideas buried within the story but the script is never able to do anything with them.

Closest comparison: It’s like Killer Elite (2011) with the art direction of Oblivion (2013).

Setting: Government Thriller
Plot: Sci-Fi
Tone: Action